Artificial eye for dolls, manikins, and other figure toys



July 7, 1931. L. J. GRUBMAN ARTIFICIAL EYE FOR DOLLS, MANIKINS, ANDOTHER FIGURE TOYS Filed Feb. 24. 1927 IN V ENTOR leaJfirzzima w Patented7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEO J. GBUBMAN, OB BELLE HABBOil,LON G ISLAND, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB 1'0 HARBOR CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ARTIFICIAL EYE FOR DOLLS, MANIKINS, ANDOTHER FIGURE TOYS Application filed February 24, 1927. Serial No.170,449

This invention relates to artificial eyes for dolls, manikins and otherfigure toys, and has for its primary object and purpose to provide aneye structure which is of simple and 5 substantial construction, and maybe rapidly produced in large quantities at low manufacturing cost.

It is another and more particular object of the invention to provide anartificial eye structure embodying improved means Whereby the eyelashesare permanently secured in attached relation and at a definite angle ofprojection with respect to the surface of the eye structure at the upperedge of the eye pupil represented thereon.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, I provide an inner shell ofcelluloid and an outer thin metallic shell closely enveloping the innershell, and provided with an eye shaped opening in its wall. A part ofthe wall of the inner, shell conforming in shape with said opening isangularly projected outwardly through the opening and between said partof the inner shell and the upper edge of the opening in the outer shell,the ends of the eyelash strands are positioned, said strand ends beingembedded and adhesively held in the structure of the inner celluloidshell.. 1 lhe outer face of the rojected section of the inner shell wallis posltioned in the same plane as the outer surface of the outer shellwall and the shoulder thus formed by said projected wall section at theupper edge of the opening in the outer shell determines the angularprojection of the eyelash strands from the outer surface of the eyestructure.

It is also another object of the invention to provide simple andeffective means whereby the inner and outer shells of the eye structuremaybe securely interlocked or permanently connected with each other inassembled relation. With the above and other objects in view, theinvention consists in the improved artificial eye structure and in theIorm, proportion and relative arrangement of its several parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawin s,and subsequently incorporated in 59 the sub oined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated several slmple and practicalembodiments of the invention, and in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through an artificial eyeconstructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

F 1g. 3 is a view similar to Fi 2 partly in section showing a slightlymodi ed means for connecting the inner and outer shell members with eachother, and

Fig. 4 is a verticalsection similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a furthermodification of the device Referring in detail to -the drawings, andmore particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, 1 preferably though notnecessarily, form the 1nner shell member 5 of the eye structure fromcelluloid or other thermo-plastic material which is drawn from a sheetof such material into the semi-spherical form illus trated in thedrawings. At the appropriate location on the surface of the celluloidsheet which forms the outer convex surface of the semi-spherical shell,the representation of the pupil of the human eye, indicated at 6 isprinted, painted, or otherwise delineated.

The second primary element of the eye structure consists of an outershell 7 which is also drawn into semi-spherical form from a relativelythin sheet of metal. This outer shell is of such internal diameter as tosnugly receive the inner shell 5, the wall of said outer shell beinglongitudinally extended to a greater length than the wall of the innershell from the curved portion thereof for a purpose which willhereinafter become apparent. The wall of the outer metal shell 7 0 atthe proper location is provided with an elliptical or eye shaped opening8 there through, which however, is of appreciably greater dimensionsthan the dimensions of the eye pupil represented on the surface of a theinner shell.

In a companion application for patent filed of even date herewith, Ihave fully described the manner in which the inner and outer shellmembers together with the eyelash 100 out from the lower edge of theeyelid, no

strands indicated at 9 are assembled and secured in relativelyfixedrelation to each other. For the purpose of this a plication, itwill sufiice to state that the en s of the lash strands 9 are ositionedbetween the wall of the outer sh 1 5 at the-upper edge of the opening 8therein, and an angularl offset or rojected section 10 of the wall 0 theinner celluloid shell 5 which substantially comletely fills the o ening8 of the outer shell,- said section 10 o the inner shell wall being thusoutwardl offset for a distance equivalent to the thic ess of the outershell so that the outer surface of the inner shell wall section '10 andthe outer surface of the outer shell 7 are positioned in the samecircumferential plane. The ends of the eyelash strands 9 extend a shortdistance above the u per edge of the opening 8 and are embedde underheat and ressure in the theme-plastic substance of the inner shell 5 sothat these strand ends become intimately and inseparably incor orated inthe wall structure of the inner she I. The outward projection of thesection 10 of the inner shell wall provides an angular shoulder 11 atthe upper edge of the opening 8 in the outer shell upon which thelashstrands are clampingly held or confined by the wall 7, the inclinationof said shoulder thus determining the angle of outward projection of theeyelash strands with respect to the part 10 of the inner shell above theeye pupil 6.

The outer surface of the outer shell 7 above the eyelashes 9 is properlypainted to represent the upper eyelid, and the exposed surface of theart 10 of the inner e e shell surrounding t e pupil 6 may also eproperly painted or colored to realistically simulate the human eye. Byattaching the eyelashes to the eye structure in this manner, to allexternal appearances, the lashes appear to grpgv O ing or securin meansfor the eyelash strands of any kind ein visible. Also, after the outerexposed sur aces are properly painted, the lines of demarkation betweenthe upper and lower edges of the opening in the outer shell 5 and thecorresponding edges of the projected part 10 of the inner shell wall arenot discernible.

Various means may be employedforpermanently connecting or interlockingthe inner .and outer shells of the eye structure against relativemovementfrom their nested or assembled positions. Thus, in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, the longitudinal extension of the wall of the outer shell 7which projects beyond the rear end edge of the wall of the inner shell5, is turned or bent inwardly around said end edge of the inner shellwall and u on the inner face'thereof as shown at 12, t us fixedlysecuring the two shells against relative longitudinal or axial movement.The part 10 of the inner shell projecting through the opening in thewall of the outer shell constitutes a means which effectively locks thetwo shells against any possibility of relative rotation.

The opposite sides of the completed eye structure may then be provided.with t e aligned openin 13 of suitable size and shape .to receive the saft or axis ofaneye setting making the outer shell of greater length andturning the rear end edge inwardly around the edge of the inner shell,in the formation of'the shaft receiving openin s 13through the wall ofthe outer shell 7, t e edges of the opening throu h this outer shellwall may be flanged inwar ly as shown at 14 and in close contactingrelation with the corresponding edges of the openings in the wall of theinner shell 5. In this case, it will be understood that the openings areprovided through the wall of the inner shell during the separatemanufacture thereof and accurately located with respect to the. upil 6on the surface thereof prior to the al assemblage of the inner and outershells with each other.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have shown a further modification of theinvention wherein the inner shell 5' as well as the outer shell 7 isproduced from a thin sheet of metal. In this case, the wall of the innershell in addition to having the outwardly projected section 10'positioned in the opening in the wall of the outer shell is furtherprovided at the upper edge of the section 10' with a shallow depression10 in which the ends of the eyelash strands are adapted to bepositioned. When the two shell members are forced together to theirfinal nested positions under pressure of the assembling dies, the endsof the lash strands will be subjected to a heavy clamping pressure andthey will be flattened out or transversel elongated between the wall ofthe depression 10 and the inner face of the wall of the outer shell 7',thus obviating any possibility of the strand ends becoming detached fromthe eye structure. In this last described construction, either of themethods of permanently securing the two shell members in nested relationas above referred to may be adopted.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and several advantages of myimproved artificial eye structure will be clearly understood. It will beseen that by means of my invention, the use of adhesives or otheradditional fastening or securing means for the eyelashes is dispensedwith,

and at the same time, I obtain a" more natural or realistic appearanceand a closer simulation of the human eye. It will also be apparent' thatthe several parts of this new eye structure may be very rapidl assembledby my proposed method with t e assurance of a definitely accuraterelationship of the parts with respect to each other.

In the accompanying drawings, the thickness of the walls of the innerand outer shell members has been somewhat exaggerated for the purpose ofclearness of the disclosure,

'30 herein disclosed several desirable and pracwhich is particularlytrue of the inner celluloidshell 5. The wall of this shell need only beof'such thickness that it may not-be easily dented or collapsed so as toconstitute a firm non-yielding support for the outer thin metal shell 7.It will also be understood that the artificial eye structure may be madein a great many different sizes for application to dolls or figures ofvarying size. Also, while I have referred to several simple andeffective devices for fixedly interlocking or connecting the two shellmembers with each other, in so far as the means which I provide for theattachment of the eyelash strands to the eye structure is concerned, anyother desired means might be utilized for permanently securing theshells in nested relation. Accordingly, it is to be understood thatwhile I have tical embodiments of the essential features of my presentimprovements, the device is also susceptible of incorporation in variousotherv alternative structural forms, and I therefore, reserve therivilege of resorting to all such legitimate c an therein as may befairly embodied within tiz spirit and scope of the appended claims.I'claim:' Y

1. An artificial eye structure comprising an outer sheet metal shellhaving an eye shaped opening in its well, an inner shell ofthermo-plastic material having a section projected section I of sai Inite antgularly projecting relation to the surof its wall projectedthrough and substantially closing said opening, the outer surfaces ofthe outer shell and the projected section of the. wall of the innershell be' sitioned in the same circumferenti the opening in the latterand embedded in the structure of the inner shell wall, said strandsbeing sustained by the offset section of the inner shell wall indefinite outwardly projecting angular relation with respect to thesurface of the outer shell, and said outer shell having its rear edgeturned inwardly around and upon the rear edge of the'inner shell topermanently secure said shells in their nested positionagainst relativemovement. i

3. An artificial eye comprising a semispherical shell, having an eyepupil on its outer surface, a part concentrically curved in relation tothe shell and superimposed thereon having a portion representing aneyelid, eyelash strands clamped at one of their ends between said partand the shell and projecting outwardly from the surface of the latterinappropriate relation to the eye pupil,

and projecting outwardly from the surface of the latter in appropriaterelation to the eye pupil, said shell being rovided in itswall atopposite sides thereo with axis receiving .openings' and saidsuperimposed part havmg portions thereof projecting inwardly throughsaid shell wall to secure sa1 tached relation to t e shell.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signedmy name hereto.

A LEO J. GRUBMAN.

part in at-,

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and eyelash strands having ,one of their ends embedded in the structureof the inner shell wall and su ported by 'the wall in defi-v face 0 theouter .shell opening therein. v I

'2. In an artificial eye structure, an'outer sheet metal shell having aneye shaped at one edge of the ing in its wall, an inner shell .0thermoplasticmaterial nested within said outer shell and having asection of. its .wall .angularly offset and substantially closing the omng 1n the,wall of the-outer shell,-.eye1as strands having one of theirends the inner and outer she openo enings and enga ed with the fi kedl'tioned between. mt one edgeof

